There is nothing in the world that some man cannot make a little worse
and sell a little cheaper,
and he who considers price only is that man's lawful prey.

ATTRIBUTION: John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

The first thing any potential client should do is familiarize
themselves with the past work around this web site.
Certainly take a look at other pieces that are of the same type as you
are looking for - the GALLERY
section your best start. Its a good idea to take a look at other objects
as well, as it will give you an idea of my general design style. You will
see that my best work is in my signature RIVENDALE
style - a blending of Art Nouveau with elements of Celtic and Norse. I
can of course design in other contemporary and historical styles.

I have created a special GALLERY OF DETAILS.
Over the years I have created a large number of sample pieces and prototypes.
This collection of individual elements gives just a small idea of what is possible
through aggressively hand forging the metal. You might find it interesting taking
a look at the PATRON SOUGHT section,
which shows a number of rough concept designs that were never completed.

Next, e-mail
me to start a general discussion of your project. You should have some idea
as to your budget, time frame, and some technical details (rough sizes for example)
on hand.

Typically what follows is an overview discussion via e-mail. If it looks like
I can meet your requirements, I then like to meet the client at their home.
This allows for me to get some sense of their taste, and allows me to bring
some reference materials for them to paw through. We discuss and mark things
they like from historical or other contemporary pieces, working through my collection
reference materials on modern, Art Nouveau, Settlement / Colonial, and Medieval
periods. A rough budget framework is also established. This is based on what
funding is available, and hopefully is realistic in terms of the amount of work
required to undertake the project. The amount is modified by variables like
finishes required and installation requirements. Obviously the more complex
the work - the higher the cost.

I then take the references in mind and make up a number of rough designs within
the budget. These are then presented - with modifications suggested by the customer
as required. Its important to realize that I treat each project as an artistic
process, so there may be some variations from the original roughs to the finished
object. (Take a look at any of the roughs to finished pieces shown throughout
the web site.) This results of all this are combined in a final approved design
with a hard quote. I like to make all my own physical measurements, to ensure
they are accurate and include the type of details the work requires. This means
a visit to the job site if not lived in right now. At this point a contract
is signed with a deposit made and dates confirmed. Normal practice is for this
deposit to amount to 50% of the total. Fabrication is then undertaken, bearing
in mind the production deadlines specified in the contract. The balance of funds
is due on final delivery.

Creation of a custom hand forged railing presents special challenges. The market
is dominated by 'cut and paste' assembly shops, who take standardized factory
made elements and weld them up into frameworks. This is then called 'hand made
wrought iron work' even though it is machine produced and most certainly not
made of historic wrought iron at all. One of the most important factors which
will dominate over any creative possibilities are the current Ontario
Building Codes, which have specific requirements on size, shape, and
materials on structural hand rails. (A short overview of some of these requirements
is available as a reference HERE.)

Everyone wants to know HOW MUCH. Obviously each original design
has a differing price tag. Each element is HAND FORGED - this takes both
TIME and SKILL. The more complex the individual elements and the larger
the number of elements within any piece will effect directly the overall
total cost. Large installations have additional costs because of the raw
effort required to physically construct and transport them. Bear in mind
that I bring over 30 years experience as a metalsmith and designer to
each project. (Consider what that skill level should cost in relation
to your own workplace.)

Some rough guidelines - 2016

(refer back to completed projects seen on this site)

GRILLS

Minimum

$150

per square foot

GATES

Minimum

$1500

for 30" wide x 4ft tall

RAILINGS

Minimum

$350

per linear foot x 42" tall

DESIGN rate

Minimum

$50

per hour

SHOP rate

Minimum

$300

per production day

Note that these are MINIMUMS - a complex design will cost considerably more.

There is a 'design fee' for producting a custom art work,
layout drawings, hard quote.
This amount will be incorporated into the initial deposit, should the contract be signed.

An ongoing project over the middle part of 2007 was a commission for a set
of front porch railings for a private home in the Riverdale area of Toronto.
I have documented the process of creating a custom art metalwork - from
first contact through finial installation. The resulting photo-essay can
be seen : Railings for Riverdale House.
The accompanying descriptions of the project will be of interest to anyone
interested in commissioning work themselves

ARCHITECTS and DESIGNERS

A promotional CD-ROM is available containing specific materials
found on this web site.

The segments gathered on this portfolio disk showcase past work and
potential designs that will be of the most interest to your clients.
This includes structural and decorative pieces, both exterior and
interior. Considerable attention is centred on objects for the GARDEN,
as this has been a primary focus of the workshop over the last several
years. The disk is designed to work on both Macintosh and IBM/PC computers,
using your existing web browser.